Pak troops, not jihadis, behind brutal killings

New Delhi, Jan. 12 -- The brutal attack on two Indian soldiers was an act of Pakistani soldiers and not jihadis, according to government sources. However, intelligence inputs say the Pakistan Army has been under tremendous pressure from jihadis who accuse it of abandoning the Kashmir cause. They also wanted to offset Pakistan's peace process with India.

This could have played a crucial role in triggering the brutal killing of the soldiers in one of the most flagrant violations of the Line of Control Tuesday.

The precise nature of the gruesome attack in an area where the Pakistan Army "controls everything" shows this was an attack by army regulars. But the sources add that the jihadi elements - some of them work "too closely" with the Pakistan Army - want to show that the Kashmir cause is alive.

They direct their anger against a "weak Pakistan government for conceding much ground to India" in the dialogue process. Jihadi elements and Pakistan establishment could also be thinking of garnering international support for causes including Kashmir. India has been maintaining that jihadi elements were a key aspect of Pakistan's strategy of fomenting troubles in Kashmir.

Sources said outfits like LeT, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and even Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan have been active in upping the Kashmir ante.

China calls for peace

Beijing: China on Friday called for calm between India and Pakistan as the relations between the two countries headed for a diplomatic storm over the killing of two Indian army men at the LoC.

"The relations between India and Pakistan are important to peace, stability and prosperity of South Asia," China's foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said on Friday.